Counting device



Oct. 20, 1953 B. VOGLER COUNTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14. 1950 PatentedOct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES i iaTENT OFFICE COUNTING DEVICE a Germancompany Application November 14, 1950, Serial No. 195,596 In GermanyNovember 28, 1949 6 Claims. 1

My invention relates to counting devices with internal gearing of thefigure wheelssuch for example as odometer-operated mileage periodindicating devices, and specifically to the construction of the insideelements.

Various types of counting devices are already known with internalgearing of the figure wheels and corresponding pinions. In oneconstruction the holders of the pinions are fixed on a grooved shaftwith which they are connected by means of groove and key. Distancesleeves on which the figure wheels rotate, are placed between theholders on the shaft.

In another design both the sleeves for the figure wheels and the holdersfor the pinions consist of one piece. They are, however, connected withthe shaft by means of groove and key.

The disadvantage of these constructions is that the shaft does notrotate and that they can only be driven from one side. In anotherconstruction the holders for the pinions are arrested outside the figurewheels. For this purpose the holders are disk-like shaped so as tocompletely cover the wheels and they are provided with lengtheningpieces projecting over the diameter of the figure wheels and are kept bymeans of a separate arresting bar in a predetermined position. Therebyit is not necessary to fasten the bearing parts on the shaft, but a gapWhose Width corresponds to the thickness of the bearing disk resultsbetween the figure wheels. Moreover, attachments for supporting anotheraxis parallel to the bearing shaft must be provided serving to commonlyarrest the single bearing disks.

Such construction has the disadvantage that it does not form a closedunit.

The present invention combines the advantages of the former constructionand eliminates its disadvantages.

According to one feature of the invention the center parts of the pinionholders are loosely arranged on a middle shaft and may be coupled bymeans of teeth provided on their ends and engaging each other so as toprevent rotating relatively to one another within the counter body.

According to another feature of the invention an end disk is providedalso coupled with the pinion holders by teeth allowing to adjust theseries of the figures of the counter relatively to the reading windowand to attach the counter to any wall of the housing or framing.

According to still another feature of the invention the said centerparts of the pinion holders are so constructed as to form bearing busheson which the figure wheels may loosely rotate.

The drawing shows by way of example one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a figure wheel with its pinion andholder.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through Fig. 1,

Fig. 2a is a partial side view of Fig. 2,

Fig. 3 shows the holder with the pinion in a side view,

Fig. 3a is a side view of Fig. 3,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a complete devicehaving two figure wheels, mounted in a frame, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the driving connection shownin Fig. 4.

The pinion holder I consists of a sleeve or tube shaped center part onwhich the figure wheel 2 loosely rotates and a bracket carrying a pin 3,on which the pinion 4 is supported. The two ends of the sleeve or tubeshaped center part of the pinion holder l are provided with cogs orteeth 5a and 522 respectively (Fig. 3). By these teeth the single pinionholders may be coupled with one another in any desired angular position.

An end disk 6 is provided having a tube-like extension at the front sideof which also cogs or teeth 5 are arranged adapted to mesh with theteeth to of the first pinion holder l.

The extension of the end disk 6 as well as the central parts of thepinion holders 1 are supported by a passing shaft 8 serving for guidingthe pinion holders and keeping them correctly aligned relatively to theaxis.

The counting device is built up by starting from the end piece 6suitable to be fastened to the frame wall by means of its flange orsecured against rotation merely by setting a pin into the hole 1.

The first figure wheel 2 rotates freely on the sleeve or tube shapedextension of the end disk 6. The first pinion holder I engages with itscogs 5b the teeth on the front side of the extension of the end disk 6forming thus a nonrotating unit with the end disk but being adapted tobe adjusted in any angular position for the purpose to correctly adjustthe figures relatively to the reading window not shown in the drawing.The pinion 4 supported by a shaft 3 fastened on the pinion holder mesheswith the wheel 2.

The next figure wheel also meshing with the pinion 5, rotates on thesleeve shaped center part of the pinion holder l. A second pinion holderwith a second wheel follows. The second pinion holder is coupled withthe first pinion holder by the end teeth and is connected thus with theend disk 6 in a non-rotating manner. Corresponding to the desired numberof figure wheels 3 further pinion holders with appertaining figurewheels must be provided.

The whole system of the pinion holders is suported for rotation on ashaft 8, which can be used for driving the counter-mechanism from eitherside, by operatively connecting it to the units wheel, since it extendsentirely through the assemblage but is not otherwise connected to it.

The shaft 8 passing through the center holes of the extension of the enddisk and of the pinion holders is simultaneously adapted to correctlyalign said holders with respect to the axis of the counter.

For holding the figure wheels and the end disk in the axial directionand to avoid an axial displacement adjusting rings may be provided onthe shaft 9 or the total axial length of the figure wheels and end diskmust correspond to the width of the housing or framing. Thus, one branchof the frame ll (Fig. 4) closely abuts the disk 8, while another branchof the frame Ii closely abuts an end of the hub portion of the unitswheel. Driving connection between the shaft 8 and the units wheelconsists in the slots 9 and pin Iii, which latter slidably engages theadjacent end of the first pinion holder l. which is of course stationaryas described above. Obviously, the shaft 8 may be driven from eitherend, and will in turn drive the counter device through its connectionwith the units wheel.

Having thus particularly described the nature of my said invention andthe mann r in which the same is to be performed what I wish to hacovered by Letters Patent is:

l. A counting device with internal earing of the figure wheelscomprising in combination, a driving shaft, pinion holders rotatablysupported on said shaft and each comprising a bearing for a figurewheel, figure wheels rotatably supported on said bearing portions ofsaid pinion holders, pinions carried by said pinion holders andoperativel engaging said figure wheels and, means adapted to couple saidpinion holders so as U) prevent an angular displacement relatively toeach other but allowing-if disengaged-an angular adjustment.

2, A counting device with internal gearing Q1.

the figure wheels comprising, in combination, a

driving shaft, pinion holders rotatably supporte on said shaft and eachcomprising a bearing for a figure wheel, figure wheels rotatablysupported on said bearing portions of said pinion holders, pinionscarried by said pinion holders and operatively engaging said figurewheels and teeth provided in the opposite ends of said pinion holdersand adapted to couple them so as to prevent an angular displacementrelatively to each other but allowing-if disengagedan angularadjustment.

3. A counting device with internal gearing of the figure wheelscomprising, in combination, an end disk adapted to be fastened on thecounting device and provided with a tubular extension, a driving shaftpassing through said tubular extension and projecting therefrom, pinionholders rotatably arranged on the projecting portion of said shaft,figure wheels arranged rotatably around said pinion holders and saidtubular extension, pinions carried by said pinion holders andoperatively engaging said figure wheels and means adapted to couple saidpinion holders with each other and with said tubular extension so as toprevent an angular displacement relatively to each other but allowing-ifdisengaged-wan angular adjustment.

4. A counting device as claimed in claim 1, said driving shaft beingadapted to align the pinion holders with respect to the axis of thecounting device.

5. A counting device as claimed in claim 1, said driving shaft beingadapted to drive the counting device from the right hand side.

6. A counting device as claimed in claim 1, said driving shaft beingadapted to drive the counting device from the left hand side.

BRUNO VOGLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

